Our Hidden Treasures
(by Enid Robertson, Patron of the Friends of Shepherds Hill)
The members of the Friends of Shepherds Hill Recreation Park are thrilled that as we have removed olives, boneseed and other nasties, we continue to discover a wonderful collection of little native plants that have been overshadowed and crowded out by the aggressive weeds. These little native plants – understorey plants – may be obvious for only a short period each year and remain dormant below ground for the rest of the time.
All our locally indigenous plants are important, but some due to their scarcity, are especially so. These are known as plants of conservation significance and are given special ratings to denote their particular conservation status.
Some plants have already become extinct in our region and we certainly do not want that to happen to any more.
At one of our earliest working bees, back in November 1999, we discovered by seeking out the source of a beautifully penetrating musk perfume, the pale flax lily Dianella longifolia – an exciting find. This lily has a Vulnerable rating. Since then we have discovered four other populations of this important plant in Shepherds Hill Park. (For a description of this Dianella see our newsletter No 3.)
Probably our most precious plant is the variable glycine, Glycine tabacina, a scrambling legume with small purple pea shaped flowers. This glycine enjoys hot spots – preferring to grow on north-west facing slopes and at the foot of rocky outcrops that get full sun. It is under constant threat not only from the competition with weeds and being overshadowed by olives but also from trampling feet and bike riders who unthinkingly create new bike tracks through their populations.
The Friends have plotted a map showing the distribution of the plants of conservation significance that we have already found in Shepherds Hill. We realised how many special areas we have. It is imperative we care for all of these. We know of sixteen (16) different species which have conservation ratings, three of them are native perennial grasses, e.g. red leg grass, Bothriochloa macra, which is threatened. Most of the others are also small plants. Below is a list of those we have found so far during our working bees and exploratory walks. Categories of conservation status codes are listed in order of decreasing conservation significance.
E - Endangered: rare and in danger of becoming extinct in the wild.
T - Threatened: likely to be either Endangered or Vulnerable but insufficient data for a more precise assessment.
V - Vulnerable: rare and at risk from potential threats or long term threats which could cause the species to become endangered in the future.
R - Rare: has a low overall frequency of occurrence (may be locally common with a very restricted distribution or may be scattered sparsely over a wider area). Not currently exposed to significant threats but warrants monitoring and protective measures to prevent reduction of population sizes.
U - Uncommon: less common species of interest but not rare enough to warrant special protective measures.
In addition to all these special plants, our own greybox grassy woodland is a ‘plant association’ of high conservation rating. Once widespread on the Adelaide Plains and in the Hills Face Zone, greybox woodland has been either totally cleared or much reduced in area to make way for grazing land, orchards, housing and roads.
Here in Shepherds Hill we have one of the few remaining stands of ‘old growth’ greybox – original big trees, which have never been cut for timber. They have hollows in old limbs; hollows that are essential to our many hollow-nesting birds such as kookaburras, galahs and rosellas.
I am sure that as we continue with our working bees more treasures will be revealed.
For descriptions of Aristida behriana and Bothriochloa macra, I can recommend the book "Grass Identification Manual" by author Joan Gibbs and artist Rochelle Gibbs. This book is a pictorial guide to the recognition of native and exotic grasses in the Northern and Southern Lofty Botanical Regions of South Australia. This easy to follow book was available at the nursery in Belair National Park; I presume it still is.It is also available from the Native Grasses Resource Group (see Links on the Contact Us page).

Small tree with weeping branches. Leaves narrow or oblong, pale green. Petals butter yellow. Fruit forms a hard, orange, egg shaped capsule which splits to reveal red sticky seeds. Flowers winter and spring.
(Drawing courtesy of Ann Prescott)

Ptilotus erubescens: Hairy Heads
Stems radiating out along the ground from woody centre. Leaves narrow. Flower clusters red or pink and densely covered with silvery hairs. Flowers spring and summer.
(Drawing courtesy of Ann Prescott)
Species | Common Name | Status State SA | Status Region SL |
---|---|---|---|
Aristida behriana | brush wire grass | U | |
Austrostipa elegantissima | elegant spear grass | U | |
Bothriochloa macra | red leg grass | T | |
Dianella longifolia | pale flax lily | V | |
var. grandis | - | - | - |
Eucalyptus microcarpa | grey box | E | U |
Glycine tabacina | variable glycine | R | E |
Goodenia albiflora | white goodenia | - | U |
Goodenia pinnatifida | scrambled eggs | - | U |
Lavatera plebeia | Australian hollyhock | T | U |
Lotus australis | Australian trefoil | U | U |
Maireana enchylaenoides | wingless fissure weed | - | U |
Pittosporum phylliraeoides | native apricot | R | R |
var. microcarpa | - | - | - |
Pleurosorus rutifolius | blanket fern | - | U |
Ptilotus erubescens | hairy heads | - | R |
Velleia paradoxa | spur velleia | - | U |
Vittadinia blackii | Western New Holland daisy | - | R |
Locally Indigenous Native Species Found in the Park
Botanical Name |
Common Name |
Family |
Acacia dodonaeifolia |
Sticky Wattle |
Leguminosae |
Acacia paradoxa |
Kangaroo Thorn |
Leguminosae |
Acacia pycnantha |
Golden Wattle |
Leguminosae |
Acaena echinata |
Sheeps Burr |
Rosaceae |
Allocasuarina verticillata |
Drooping Sheoak |
Casuarinaceae |
Alternanthera denticulata |
Lesser Joyweed |
Amaranthaceae |
Amyema miquelii |
Box Mistletoe |
Loranthaceae |
Aristida behriana |
Brush Wiregrass |
Gramineae |
Arthropodium strictum |
Chocolate/Vanilla Lily |
Liliaceae |
Arthropodium fimbriatum |
Nodding Chocolate Lily |
Liliaceae |
Astroloma humifusum |
Native Cranberry |
Epacridaceae |
Austrodanthonia spp. |
Wallaby Grasses |
Gramineae |
Austrostipa elegantissima |
Elegant Spear-grass |
Gramineae |
Austrostipa scabra |
Spear-grass |
Gramineae |
Bothriochloa macra |
Redleg Grass |
Gramineae |
Bulbine bulbosa |
Bulbine Lily (Native Leek) |
Liliaceae |
Bursaria spinosa |
Christmas Bush |
Pittosporaceae |
Calostemma purpureum |
Garland Lily |
Amaryllidaceae |
Carex bichenoviana |
Strand Sedge |
Cyperaceae |
Carex breviculmis |
Short-stem Sedge |
Cyperaceae |
Convolvulus angustissimus |
Australian Bindweed |
Convolvulaceae |
Cheilanthes austrotenuifolia |
Rock Fern |
Adiantaceae |
Crassula |
|
Crassulaceae |
Cyperus vaginatus |
Flat Sedge |
Cyperaceae |
Dianella longifolia var. grandis |
Pale Flax Lily |
Liliaceae |
Dianella revoluta |
Black Anther Flax Lily |
Liliaceae |
Dodonaea viscosa ssp. spatulata |
Sticky Hop Bush |
Sapindaceae |
Drosera spp. |
Sun Dews |
Droseraceae |
Einadia nutans |
Climbing Saltbush |
Chenopodiaceae |
Enchylaena tomentosa |
Ruby Saltbush |
Chenopodiaceae |
Enneapogon nigricans |
Black Heads |
Gramineae |
Epilobium hirtigerum |
Hairy Willow-herb |
Onagraceae |
Eucalyptus camaldulensis |
River Red Gum |
Myrtaceae |
Eucalyptus leucoxylon |
S. Aust. Blue Gum |
Myrtaceae |
Eucalyptus microcarpa |
Grey Box |
Myrtaceae |
Glycine rubiginosa |
Twining Glycine |
Leguminosae |
Glycine tabacina |
Variable Glycine |
Leguminosae |
Gonocarpus elatus |
Hill Raspwort |
Haloragaceae |
Gonocarpus mezianus |
Raspwort |
Haloragaceae |
Gonocarpus tetragynus |
Small-leaf Raspwort |
Haloragaceae |
Goodenia albiflora |
White Goodenia |
Goodeniaceae |
Goodenia pinnatifida |
Scrambled Eggs |
Goodeniaceae |
Hardenbergia violacea |
Native Lilac |
Leguminosae |
Juncus bufonius |
Toad Rush |
Juncaceae |
Juncus subsecundus |
Finger Rush |
Juncaceae |
Lomandra densiflora |
Pointed Mat-rush |
Liliaceae |
Lomandra micrantha |
Small-flower Mat-rush |
Liliaceae |
Lomandra nana |
Small Mat-rush |
Liliaceae |
Lysiana exocarpi |
Harlequin Mistletoe |
Loranthaceae |
Lythrum hyssopifolium |
Lesser Loosestrife |
Lythraceae |
Maireana enchylaenoides |
Wingless Fissure Weed |
Chenopodiaceae |
Malva behriana |
Australian Hollyhock |
Malvaceae |
Muehlenbeckia gunnii |
Coastal Lignum |
Polygonaceae |
Neurachne alopecuroidea |
Foxtail Mulga Grass |
Gramineae |
Olearia ramulosa |
Twiggy Daisy Bush |
Compositae |
Oxalis perennans |
Native Oxalis |
Oxalidaceae |
Pelargonium litorale |
Storks Bill |
Geraniaceae |
Pittosporum angustifolium |
Native Apricot |
Pittosporaceae |
Pleurosorus rutifolius |
Blanket Fern |
Aspleniaceae |
Poa |
|
Gramineae |
Pseudognaphalium luteoalbum |
Cudweed |
Compositae |
Senecio quadridentatus |
Cotton Fireweed |
Compositae |
Setaria jubiflora |
Warrego Summer Grass |
Gramineae |
Stackhousia monogyna |
Creamy Candles |
Stackhousiaceae |
Themeda triandra |
Kangaroo Grass |
Gramineae |
Vittadinia blackii |
Vittadinia |
Compositae |
Vittadinia cuneata |
Fuzzweed |
Compositae |
Wahlenbergia luteola |
Bluebell |
Campanulaceae |
Wahlenbergia stricta |
Tall Bluebell |
Campanulaceae |
Extra Reading
Article about "Garland Lily" - http://wp.me/p2Xem2-t4